PITTSBURGH TEAM NOTES

August 24, 2005

Levon Kendall has been named to the Canadian National Team that begins play today in the FIBA Americas world championship qualifying tournament. Former Hawaii standout Carl English and former Niagara star Juan Mendez will lead Leo Rautin's squad, which will also include Connecticut's Denham Brown. Canada opens against Venezuela on Thursday, then meets the United States on Friday, Panama on Saturday, and Brazil on Sunday. The tournament will be completed Sept. 4 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the top 10 teams in the Americas zone compete for four spots in the 2006 FIBA world championships in Tokyo. Here is an article on the team from Canada.Com: Brown, Kendall Compete for Canada.

Keystone Recruiting of the Pittsburgh Sports Report has an artilce on Pitt early commit Herb Pope. Currently, Pope is in Jacksonville, FL checking out Arlington Country Day, one of the top prep schools in the country. There was an internet report (Team Breakdown Says Pope to Fl Prep)that claims he has transferred to the Florida prep power, but Pope tells the Pittsburgh Sports Report that is not the case yet. He says he is checking it out on the advice of one of his AAU coaches. However, he talks very highly of his expectations with Aliquippa this winter. Pope also drops a little of a bombshell on Pittsburgh fans, claiming to be open in his recruiting. He then qualifies the statement, saying only if Jamie Dixon and his staff are not there. He says another coach has told Pope that the Pitt staff would not be there when it is time for him to play at Pitt. I guess, time will tell. Here is the Keystone Recruiting Article on Herp Pope: Pope Addresses Transfer Rules.